The Gumshoe Files: Gumshoe's Gambit
by Nerdemperor
Summary: When Detective Dick Gumshoe tries to tie up loose ends after Furio Tigre's arrest, he finds a lot more than he bargained for. Takes place between Recipe for Turnabout and Bridge to the Turnabout. An attempt at a classic, noir-esque detective story using Gumshoe. Some coarse language. Recently received slight update.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: The Detective's Lament**_

For those of you who don't know who I am, my name is Detective Dick Gumshoe. For those of you who do know who I am, let me assure you; you don't.

I've been homicide detective down at the precinct for about six years or so. Yeah. I know what you're thinking. You've probably thinking of some fifty- something desk jockey with a wife and kids and a stogie in his mouth, who's spent his entire career growing fat off a pension. But being Detective sure ain't all it's cracked up to be. Every day, it seems I gotta wake up to something ugly. Right now, I want you to take a good look at your life. Chances are, you've got it pretty good, considering you probably haven't seen two different women bludgeoned to death by a stone clock. The _same_ stone clock. Whenever I get up in the morning, it seems the only reason I need to is so that I can rush down to God knows where to find some stiff that's been shot, stabbed, poisoned, crushed, pushed off a cliff or run through with a spear. A _spear_, for Christ's sake. Every day seems to be a tour of all the evil that people can do, and a reminder of what more they could do if I wasn't there to stop 'em. And being Detective sure doesn't entitle you to any special treatment. After a few years, you develop a stomach for pencil necks who get in your way, unnecessary pay cuts and the delightful people who take the time to shout out "PIG!" at every coffee shop and street corner I pass through. Those guys are lucky I never bother loading my gun.

But my story begins in the wake of a huge court case. Y'see, one of the biggest loan sharks in the city, one Furio Tigre, proprietor of the "Tender Lender," had a client named Glen Elg who had a little bit too much outstanding debt for his liking. So he decided to treat him to a nice meal at a local restaurant, poison him and pin it on whatever patsy he could find, which in this case happened to be the restaurant's only waitress. But to make a long story short, the whole thing came crashing down around him, and he was brought up on first-degree murder charges. However, the word on the street is that his entire enterprise was inherited by his mistress, Viola Caverdini. Problem is, Miss Caverdini just so happens to be the granddaughter of Bruto Caverdini, the city's reigning mafia don. So, basically, we have a network of loan sharks that just conveniently fell into the hands of the mob. It ain't good. But from what it looks like, the whole court case blew a huge whole in the Tender Lender's cover, and it looks like I have an opportunity to hit 'em where it hurts before the mafia closes in on the whole thing.

I got up in the morning and headed down to the precinct. Not that there's been a lot to do around there at the moment. The last thing that Tigre's people did before we caught him was infect the police station's computer mainframe with a virus. Pretty ballsy move; one that ultimately put the noose around his neck for his conviction. But the long and short of it is that all our records are GONE. The city sent a couple of eggheads around to try and recover them, but I'm not holding my breath. I never thought that all that hoidy-toidy, high-tech stuff was that important to police work, but it seems like the entire station house is in shambles. It's just sad.

So, anyways, I get to my desk, and I find I've got a couple of messages, Most of it is just paperwork, but one of them is from Maggey Byrde, an old friend of mine. Says she wants to do lunch sometime. Hell, I could probably fit it in today, after I pay a visit to Ms. Caverdini.

I take my cruiser down to the Tender Lender's main building. Christ, what a wreck. This end of town gives me the willies, and I'm a cop. I open the door, to find Miss Caverdini herself working the reception. Before I can open my mouth, she starts with her whole "hospitality" routine.

"Hello, Detective. How may I help you?"

So she knows who I am. Well, then I can dispense with the pleasantries.

"I'm here to ask you a few questions, Ms. Caverdini."

"Oh, and here I am, thinking you were looking for a loan."

"Like hell. Now, first off, now that you've inherited the Tender Lender, are you going to maintain the pursuit of your pre-existing indebtors?"

"I didn't know you spoke legal jargon, Detective. I'm impressed."

"Just answer the question, will you?" (I had no intention of letting her know I'd spent all last night with a thesaurus looking that up.)

"Tender Lender is not a charity, Detective. If we had any clients from the previous administration with outstanding debts, then those debts will continue to be collected."

"Through legitimate means, I'm assuming."

"Why, of course. Tender Lender has always prided itself on its integrity."

It kills me when crooks do this. They aren't fooling anyone. This entire discussion has just been one long taunt on her part, and I don't take kindly to being taunted.

"Is this the only reason you came here, Detective?

Enough games. Time to wrap this up.

"I'm here to offer a warning to you, Miss Caverdini."

"A warning?" she queried, maintaining her sly tone.

"We know all about this operation. The next time you slip up, you're basically finished. My advice is to close up shop and head someplace else."

Her condescension fades. I can tell I've pissed her off, and this is the sort of woman who's used to getting what she wants. I can see her reaching underneath her desk. I've got a good idea of what happens next.

"Now, Detective, I want to be clear. I have absolutely no idea what you are referring to. Now if you don't vacate these premises immediately, I'll have you charged with police brutality."

She's good. A guy like Tigre would have lost it right now. But she's kept her cool the entire time. Almost admirable, in a way. I was planning on pressing her a little harder, but at that point, two large men in black suits and sunglasses marched in from the back room.

"I believe these men can show you to the door."

"No worries, pal. I can show myself out."

I walk out the door, trying as hard as I can to smile on my way out.

You're probably thinking that showing her my hand like that was a dumb move. I don't think so. I had quite a few reasons for visiting Miss Caverdini. First off, I like an opponent that's on edge. They're more likely to screw up. After our visit, she'll either be angry or nervous or both. Either way, she'll try to cover everything she does, and the more she covers, the more there is to uncover. Second of all, I kind of feel sorry for her. She's smart, she's attractive. She probably could've gotten ahead in the world if she wasn't related to a dirtbag like Bruto Caverdini. I'm a nice guy, so I thought it wouldn't be fair to go after her without giving her a chance to get out.

Another thing is that now that I've made the first move, I can expect her to retaliate and plan ahead. I'd rather know that she's planning to strike back than get caught red –handed snooping around. I've known too many cops who were whacked because they had no idea the wrong kind of people had found out what they were up to. There's another reason I had a chat with Miss Caverdini, but that's for later. I've got a lunch date to head down to.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: Dining with Friends**_

You know how I said that Tigre tried to pin the murder on a waitress? Well, that's Maggey. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and ended up spending a month in prison because of it. But she's more to me than that. Maggey used to be a cop; one that I had trained personally. She lost her badge a long time ago after a big mishap, and I hadn't seen her until she was arrested. But the court case gave us an opportunity to hang out again, and now she wants to see me for whatever reason. Which is fine, because I wanted to talk to her about something anyways.

I pop into what used to be a local burger joint, but seems to be more and more like a café every time I come here. I guess they're trying to attract new customers, but whenever I'm here, all I see are burnt-out single mothers and old ethnic people who talk really loudly. So, anyways, I see Maggey in the corner, and I wave to show her that I'm here. When she looks up and sees me, she smiles and just seems to light up. I have no idea why. I guess she's been having a long day. So I make my way over to the booth, and, for whatever reason, she gets up.

"Hi, Dick! How are you?"

It bugs me when people call me Dick. I'm about to sit down, but she comes up to me and gives me a ten-second hug. I'm really not much of a hugger. It was an awkward ten seconds. So I finally get to sit down, and start making conversation.

"So… How's work?"

"Oh, I lost my job at the restaurant because of the court case."

"Geez, Maggey, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. After being wrongfully arrested and spending a month in prison, I've got buttloads of compensation money. Plus, my boss made it clear that I could re-apply if I wanted to, but I'm….."

"Not that interested?"

"Oh, the place was a hellhole. I might reapply if there's nothing else, but I'm really not worried about it."

Our little chat sort of peters out here. Eventually, I bring up my investigation of Miss Caverdini. That definitely got Maggey's attention.

"So, what are you going to do next?"

"Well, I'm afraid that I cannot divulge that information."

"Oh, come on, Dick. Don't be such a stick in the mud."

"You miss being a cop, don't you?"

I kind of got the feeling that this caught her off guard. But she kept going.

"I miss having control, Dick. I went to prison for no reason and waited for a month while the powers that be bickered about it. And if you're trying to stick it to the ones responsible, I want in. Simple as that."

"Oh, come on, now. Tigre's in prison. And I can handle Caverdini myself."

"The hell you can. Not when her granddaddy has the entire city by the balls. There have been plenty of cops who tried to do what you're trying to, and they're all either fired or dead or worse. "

"And you think that you can make it easier?"

"I think that if you're going down taking these people on, then I should go down with you."

I can't help but smile. That's what I've always admired about Maggey. She's always been a very determined woman. I look down. Both of us have cleaned our plates.

"Still hungry?"

"No."

"Good. We're going to visit Jean Armstrong."

We head down to a French restaurant called Tres Bien, home the city's shittiest T-bone steak, and the place Glen Elg was killed. The proprietor of this restaurant? A very odd Frenchman named Jean Armstrong. One of Tender Lender's clients, who ended up testifying against Furio Tigre. And, on a side note, Maggey's former employer. I brought Maggey along to help interrogate him, A) because they know each other and B) because this guy kind of gets on my nerves. We walk into the restaurant. The place is dead. Armstrong must have heard us come in, because he comes running out from the kitchen to greet us.

"Allo, Maggey!"

"Hi, Jean."

He goes up to her and does the double-cheek kiss thing. I _really_ hope he doesn't remember me from the investigation.

"Oh, and this must be Monsieur Detective!"

Balls. He remembers me. He comes closer. I keep my distance. All of a sudden, there's this really loud "ping."

"Oh, ma croissants are done!"

Thank you, Jesus. He goes into the kitchen. We follow him.

"Mr. Armstrong, we're here to talk to you about your history with the Tender Lender."

He stops smiling. I had a feeling that he was trying to forget about the whole thing. The reason that Armstrong was brought in to testify was that he had more debt built up with the Tender Lender than any other client. 500 grand, to be precise. It takes a lot of money to keep a restaurant that nobody eats at open. That's why his restaurant was chosen as the location for Glen Elg's poisoning; Armstrong couldn't say anything about it because Tigre had him by the nuts. But the whole thing blew up in his face when Armstrong decided to testify anyways. That's not why I'm here, though. I'm here because if what Miss Caverdini told me this morning was true, then this guy still owes the Tender Lender a ton of money. Add that to his recent testimony, and you've got what you'd logically assume is Tender Lender's number one target.

"Has Viola Caverdini contacted you in any way since the trial?"

"Oui, she visited me yesterday."

"Did she make any threats?"

"She was being very mean, oui."

Well, that sure as hell won't hold up in court.

"Are you going to meet her again soon?"

"Oui, tomorrow night."

That's what I want to hear.

"How'd you like to help us with a little stakeout to take down Tender Lender?"

He didn't answer right away. I didn't think he would.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that I keep an eye on what happens during this meeting of yours. Maybe take a few pictures or some video."

"Ah don't know, Monsieur Detective. If ah get into any more trouble with ze Tender Lender…."

"Well, the way I see it, you've got a choice. You can let these people push you around until they get tired of you and ice you in a dark alley, or you can help me out. Your call."

I give Maggey a nod and we start to walk out. Not too quickly, though.

"Wait, Monsieur Detective."

Here we go.

"Tell me what you want to do."

I tell him my whole plan. Not much to it, really. All I'm gonna do is take a few snapshots when the meeting goes down. Something that will hold up in court. It all depends on what happens at the meeting. But one thing's for certain: this guy's gonna get the shit kicked out of him. I don't even think he realizes it. And as long as I can figure out how to link it back to Caverdini, we're golden.

Just before I finish talking to Armstrong, he pops out to take a whiz. Goodie. Now Maggey and I are just sitting here, waiting for him to come back so that we can finally leave. Out of the blue, Maggey pipes up.

"So, can you get me a ride to the stakeout? My car is still impounded from when I was arrested."

"What do you mean? You're not going."

"What do you mean, I'm not going?"

"I mean that you aren't going. I let you tag along for the little chat, but this is police business."

"Oh, bullshit. Come on, let me help."

"No."

'Please?"

"No."

"Maybe if-"

"No."

She's giving me the puppy dog look. This is getting ridiculous. I have never, EVER seen Maggey _beg_ before. But I'm not letting it fly. Not on my watch. Dick Gumshoe doesn't kowtow to nobody.

"OK, FINE!"

"Thank you, Dick."

I feel like a spineless moron. Oh, well.

"So will you give me a ride here?"

Don't rub it in, woman.

"Sure, I'll give you a ride here."

I hear something and turn around. Armstrong's back. Sounds like he's been eavesdropping on our little chat the entire time.

"Am ah interrupting anything?"

"No. Not a damn thing."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: It's Good to Kick Back**_

I drop Maggey off at home on my way back to the precinct. I have a huge stack of paperwork that the commissioner dropped off. I get started on it, but before I know it, it's 5:00. Time to punch out.

I live in a small apartment in the north end of the city. It's not fancy, but neither am I. I take my coat off and collapse on my sofa, which some inconsiderate person once had the audacity of trying to throw out. I recover my strength for a little while, than go to the kitchen to heat up some instant noodles. I love that stuff. Everyone thinks I love it because I'm cheap. Not true. I love it because it's fucking delicious. Turn the TV on. Three whole channels of bunk. Oy.

You probably think that bringing Maggey along is a bad idea. I agree. I really don't feel good about it at all. But Maggey was a cop once, so she'll be able to handle herself. And if she really wants to stick it to the Tender Lender for putting her in prison, then more power to her, I guess. I'm still not really comfortable with it, but whatever.

I go to the fridge and get a drink. Yeah. You probably wouldn't peg me as a drinker, which is weird. If I run into a guy like me on the street, one of the first things I think is "he probably drinks." I'm not that into it though. Really. I sit back, and let the alcohol do its work.

I grew up in a small town outside of the city, where my pop worked as a pastor. But having a pastor for a father has probably made me into the least religious person on Earth. Every mistake I ever made wasn't just an affront to him; it was an affront to God. I spent my entire childhood trying to impress him, but whenever I told him about something I'd accomplished, he accused me of being "proud" and told me to beg forgiveness. I eventually gave up trying to be his son, which seemed to suit him just fine.

And then there was his drinking. He said it was to help him cope with "the evils of the world." I just think he was weak. He'd spent his entire evening wasted, yelling at Mum and I about how we weren't "worthy." I took most of the beatings, but Mum took a couple herself. She ended up leaving when I was 17. I really don't blame her. In fact, he kicked me out soon after. I guess he wasn't comfortable with the fact that I was old enough to start hitting back. I didn't care. I came to the city and became a cop, so I could actually do something about "the evils of the world," but all I really seem to do here is view them from a different angle.

I go to the kitchen and get another drink.

Like father, like son.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: An Evening's Strife**_

I get up at around eight-ish and take in as much coffee as I need to function. I make my way down to the precinct. Pretty busy today. See, our larceny detective, this guy named Atmey, was recently brought in for blackmail charges, so I've been picking up his slack. Half the stuff I looked into today was stuff that isn't even my department. It's a huge drag. But anyways, I put in the request to set up the stakeout at Tres Bien. Commissioner didn't seem too keen on it, but he let me go anyways. I guess it's just my rugged good looks and sparkling personality. I head out around six, swinging around to pick Maggey up. I have a brief chat with Armstrong to make sure everything is still go, and get set up.

Maggey and I are set up on the roof of the restaurant. We have a good vantage point. We can see the alley where the deal is going down, and there's a fire escape we can just slide down if we need to get to the bottom in a hurry. The meeting's taking place in the alley behind Tres Bien. I have a camcorder handy, and I set up a bug in a dumpster down below, so I can hear what they're saying. The bug was sort of a last minute decision, but I thought it might be useful. I also gave Maggey some binoculars, so she can tell me if I'm missing anything. Thing is, we have no idea what the exact time is that they'll show up, so we're basically playing a long waiting game up here.

About an hour goes by. At first, I basically try to play it serious and quiet, in case the perps show up. But after waiting that long, I eventually start talking to Maggey.

"Cold?"

"Oh, God, yeah. I had no idea that it could get so cold on top of a roof."

"You want my coat?"

"Nah, I'll be fine."

About six seconds go by.

"OK, I've changed my mind. Gimme that coat."

Took me a while to give her the coat, because I had it fully buttoned, something I almost never do.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Awkward silence.

"Man, how long have you had this coat, anyways?"

"Oh, jeez, I dunno. Maybe six years."

"I'm hoping you've washed it at some point."

"Har har har. Very funny."

More awkward silence. This time it's my turn to break it.

"It's a good coat. Flame retardant."

"Why the hell would you need a flame retardant coat?"

"They were on sale."

"Oh."

Yeah, I'm a stellar conversationalist. Another half hour goes by. Maggey pulls out a pack of M&M's.

"You're eating M&M's during a stakeout?"

"Problem?"

"Yes, 'problem!' Gimme those!"

She just looks flat-out pissed. But she gets this really weird look on her face when I give her the bag back.

"I get the red ones."

And so we basically waited there until the sun went down. It was actually pretty nice to see the sun set from the roof of a building. But around 7:30, something starts going down. Armstrong walks into the malley. I get the camera ready. Suddenly, about two or three goons go up to him. I turn on my dumpster bug so I could hear what they're saying.

"Who are you? Vere is Caverdini?"

I must admit, I kinda thought that Caverdini would show up herself. That would've made things go a lot more smoothly. Oh, well. I can make it work.

"Caverdini's not here, chump. But we're here to deliver a little message for her."

Bingo. That's what I wanna hear. Now the goons are zeroing in on Armstrong.

"Vait! Vat are you doing?"

And then they started beating the shit out of him. I get some awesome footage. I wait a minute or two before I decide to intervene. When one of them pulls out a knife, that's when I decide to break it up. I slide down the fire escape ladder, which made my hands hurt like a sonovabitch. The thugs run off, and I start to chase after them. They've got their car parked just outside the alley, and they're long gone by the time I get there. No plates. Dammit.

I head over to the squad car I'd hidden under a tarp and put out an APB for a car with no plates, and sent for some medical help for Armstrong. I take a look up at the roof to see if my camera's still set up. I see Maggey. And she's not alone.

Some perp in a suit is sneaking up behind her. I don't think she knows he's there. I give a shout to warn her, but it's too late. The guy wraps his arm around her mouth. Waste of time. Maggey's not the screaming type. She works herself loose and punched him in the jaw. Kinda figured that might happen. But then the guy pulls out a bottle of chloroform. Doesn't put it on a towel or anything, just splashes the stuff right in her face. That's freakin' cheap. She goes down, and the guy scoops her up in a fireman's carry. I'm about halfway up the fire escape at this point. Figure he can't leave with me blocking the only way out. I get to the top, and all I can see is one of those grappling hook dealies. Bastard scaled the wall. I go to the other side of the wall, and see him stuff her into the car and drive off.

The whole thing was a setup from the start.

Maggey's gone.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five: The Art of Conversation**_

I slide back down the ladder (still freakin' hurts) and make a beeline for the back alley. I'm not stupid. I know exactly why this is happening.

Armstrong.

I found him trying to crawl behind the dumpster. Christ, what a wreck. He's got a black eye, a busted lip and a nosebleed from hell. I pick him up by the front of his collar. Bruises everywhere. I figure a few more won't hurt, although I'm kind of hoping it will. I give him a good slug to the face, and then I communicate with him in a concise and courteous manner.

"YOU SOLD ME OUT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Monsieur Detective."

"How dumb do you think I am, Armstrong? You were the only one who knew she was up there."

"Well, maybe…"

"Enough, alright? Look, what did she offer you? A reduction of your debt? Drugs? Power?"

"Non, she just said I would not be harmed."

"Well, that sure worked out well, didn't it?

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

"No. It's not okay. You need to tell me everything you know."

"But they said-"

Hit him in the gut this time. Changing it up.

"Fine! Listen! Have you ever heard of an assassin named Shelly de Killer?"

Shelly de Killer. I know it sounds like he's making it up, but he's not. De Killer's not his real name, although if that were my name, I'd probably be just as mentally disturbed. Guy's one of the top gunrunners in the country, but he sure isn't above something like kidnapping. I should know. I've had the indecency of tangoing with this sonovabitch once before.

It was the middle of winter. I was out on a kidnapping investigation on the behalf of a friend of mine, with none other than Mr. de Killer himself doing the kidnapping. I got a tip that he was hiding out in an abandoned carnival, so I headed out with a dozen of the city's finest and went out to kick some ass. But by the time we'd got there, he was already gone. I was able to get some dirt on his employers while I was there, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want another crack at him someday.

Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

Armstrong's bawling like a baby. Too bad. I need more info.

"What does Caverdini plan to do with Maggey?"

"She wants to hold her ransom and blackmail you with her."

Cute. I'm almost flattered that she's putting this much effort into pissing me off. Armstrong butts in.

"Caverdini said that she would contact you and give you the terms. That's all I know."

"You don't know where they're keeping her, do you?"

"Non."

Balls. I set Armstrong down, kick him in the chest once for good measure, load up the stakeout equipment in the back of my cruiser and drive off. I hear the ambulance come to pick up Armstrong just as I'm leaving.

This is what I get for taking my eye off the ball. This is all my fault. How could I have let this happen? Sometimes I wonder if I'm too soft. Hell, I know it. Any detective worth his salt wouldn't have dared to bring a civilian to a place like that. But I did it, because I didn't have the wherewithal to say no, and now the both of us are paying for it. I'm driving, but I don't know where. I'm sweating, but I don't know why. It doesn't matter, because all I can see is red.

The wait is what's killing me. It's been twenty minutes, and Caverdini still hasn't phoned. I bet she's doing this on purpose. The feeling of helplessness is eating away at me like cancer. I just want to end this. Now.

Finally, I get something on my car phone. I let it ring a little, just so I can get myself together. I don't want to go into this half-cocked. I expect to hear Caverdini's shrill, creepy voice, but instead, I hear this low, distorted rumble. Takes me a second to figure out what's going on.

"Hello, Detective."

"Hello, Caverdini. Distorting your voice? That's not like you."

"It's automatic. All the phones in the house do that. It's sort of a family tradition."

"I wonder why that would be."

"Now, now, Detective. You're in no position to make threats. Especially since my associate has a friend of yours with her hands tied behind her back and a six-inch blade pressed against her jugular."

"What do you want, Caverdini?"

"What do I want? I don't think you understand the situation here. I'm not just going to lay down one demand and let her go. You're my little bitch for life, you overbearing loudmouth. You can keep the police out of my hair, pick up my dry cleaning….. basically whatever I need, you're going to do. There's no negotiation. There's no middle ground. I can hold on to her for as long as I like, because I know that she means more to you than you both let on."

"Really? You're willing to keep a guy like Shelly de Killer on your payroll for the rest of my life?"

"Oh, so you heard. Well, in any case, it doesn't really matter how much it costs. I'll just have to make you worth it."

"I see. Here's my counteroffer."

"And what would that be?"

"You bring back Maggey in one piece and I'll give you this tape of your boys making a rendezvous with Mr. Armstrong."

"There's nothing at all on that tape that connects me to Mr. Armstrong's beating. That's not a good area of town that his restaurant is set up in. Who knows what kind of riffraff he may have run into?"

That's when it occurred to me. I hadn't told Armstrong about the bug, so Caverdini didn't know that there was audio. So I took out my camcorder, held it up to the carphone and hit play.

_-Who are you? Vere is Caverdini?_

_-Caverdini's not here, chump. But we're here to deliver a little message for her._

She's pissed now. It doesn't take her long to regain her cool, though.

"So what?"

"What do you mean, 'so what?'"

"Do you have any idea how many times my family has been brought to court, Detective? This is by far the lamest piece of evidence I've ever been confronted with. You'll have to do better than that to even consider convicting me."

"I can do better than that."

"How so?"

"I'm recording this conversation, too."

I could practically taste the angst from the other end of the phone. Got you now, you irritating harpy.

"Alright, fine. Go to the warehouse next to Lordly Tailor. You'll find the girl there with de Killer, and we'll do an exchange. Deal?"

"Deal."

I hang up. I'm not gonna lie. Even though I'm still worried about Maggey and all, I feel pretty slick about how that went. This is why I wanted to attack now. Caverdini may talk big, but that doesn`t hide the fact that she`s still a rookie, who`s been making plenty of rookie mistakes. All her granddaddy`s influence has gone to her head, and now she thinks that she can handle her own empire. It could get ugly unless someone can kill it before it spreads. And that someone is me.

That`s right, Gumshoe. Just keep lying to yourself. Keep acting like it isn`t eating you up inside. I`m gonna fix this, I swear I`m gonna fix this.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six: Of Assassins and Men**_

I get to the warehouse. The place looks deserted. Not a single car in the parking lot. Makes me wonder where de Killer is parked. Guy like him is probably somewhere in the back alley. I kinda want to look for it, but I`m treading thin ice as it is. I go through the door, and I see rows and rows of boxes. All I`m thinking of is how many places there are for a killer to hide. The place is like a labyrinth. You could easily get lost in here. It sort of gets on my nerves. I get to what must be the exact middle of the place. I turn a corner, and suddenly I feel the tip of a .45 pressed against my temple.

``Don`t move, Detective."

What a gyp. The spineless bastard won`t even let me look at him.

"So, this is how you`re going to do things, then? Rather than dealing with me, you're just going to kill me?"

"Don't insult my intelligence, Detective. Even if you were planning on giving us the tape, you could have easily made backups. Essentially, it's much safer to kill you than to trust you."

"So then what`s the big hold-up, de Killer? Last time I checked, I was still breathing."

"Well, I suppose I just wanted to commend you on how dumb you are."

"Is that so?"

"Look at you. You piss off one of the most powerful crime families in the city, and then you waltz in here alone so you can negotiate with the most feared assassin on the face of the Earth, and you honestly thought that it would work out in your favor? It doesn't take an assassin to know that people as feeble and stupid as you need to be culled, no matter what motivates you. It honestly takes too much effort for me to take you seriously."

He kept going after that, but I sort of tuned out at that point.

"Any final words, Detective?"

"Well, I suppose I'd like to commend you on how dumb _you_ are."

"How so?"

"Because you thought I came here alone."

I turned off the bug my jacket. That was the signal for the cops I'd arranged to meet outside the warehouse to make their entrance. About two dozen officers poured in from all sides. I couldn't see any of them where I was, but they had certainly made their presence known.

"This is the police! We have you surrounded!"

He lowers his gun. He knows he can't shoot me without revealing his location. I finally get a good look at him. See, one of this guy's greatest accomplishments is that he's gone through his entire career without anyone knowing what he looks like. That's how he's made it this long without getting caught; nobody's been able to positively identify him. So, of course, when I get a good look at him, he's wearing a mask. Figures. He starts running to the point where I can't reach him, then he starts climbing to the top of the shelves. Pretty crafty; the cops can't see where he's going up there. He's a pretty nimble little guy. By the time I start climbing, the guy's already at the top.

I get to the top, and I see him making his way out of a window, with yet another grappling hook thingy. Looks like he had this escape route planned before I even got here. By the time I get to the window, he's unhooked it so that I can't follow him. It's two stories straight down.

I can survive two stories.

I leap down, and land on my feet, and the shock my legs are taking make me feel like I'm on fire. When I catch up to the guy, he's getting into his car. I draw out my gun and scream "FREEZE!" The guy turns around and puts his hands in the air. Then something occurs to me.

My gun isn't loaded.

This is going to be fun.

I decide to take this bluff as far as I can take it.

"Take out your gun and drop it on the ground."

He throws his gun on the ground. That went well, I suppose. Now what?

"Kick it over here."

He does. Now I'm in shit. Because now I think he knows. We give each other a nod. I go for the gun, he goes for something in his car. He pulls out- Maggey?

There she was, bound and gagged, with a six-inch dagger pressed against her throat, and de Killer using her as a human shield.

"Drop the gun or I slit her throat."

Maggey's a pretty small girl, but de Killer's kind of scrawny himself. He's almost completely obscured by her, save a little bit of his head peeking over her shoulder. It's an impossible shot.

"There's only one bullet in that gun, Detective. There is no way this is working out in your favor."

Do I have what it takes? Do we all have what it takes?

"DROP IT!"

Bang.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven: Taken Aback**_

I don't think de Killer understood what I just did. He's got this ridiculous, puzzled look on his face.

"Why on Earth did you shoot….. straight into the air?"

"I dunno. It's just something us dumb people do, I guess."

I drop the gun. There. Now he can't threaten Maggey anymore.

"Thank you, Detective. Viola Caverdini sends her regards."

He puts Maggey in the car, and opens the door so that he can get in, only to get shot to shit by the officers from the warehouse who came running after they heard my gunshot. About three cops came running to help out. I get Maggey out from the car. I use de Killer's dagger to cut her loose, and I take the gag out of her mouth. I take her with me, and I let the other guys deal with de Killer, who, apparently, is still breathing, even after taking four or five bullets. I should get these guys to work on their marksmanship a little more.

I take Maggey and put her in my car. She's pretty tired. I lay her down on the passenger seat, then I hop in and head in to the station. All I have to do is get all this evidence in to the Chief and Viola Caverdini is history.

I tell Maggey about all the evidence I got against Caverdini, and how sorry I was that she got captured, and all sorts of things, but she isn't really that interested. I really hope she isn't mad at me. The silence is killing me. C'mon, Maggey. Say something.

"Thank you, Dick."

That's all I wanted to hear.

I park across the street from the station. I take Maggey with me; no sense in her getting captured again. We're just about to cross the street, when suddenly a limousine pulls up in front of us, and someone gets out. It was someone I thought I'd never meet in my entire life.

It was Bruto Caverdini.

"Hello, Detective Gumshoe."

I gotta admit, after all this time, after all I've heard about him, he seems a little disappointing. He looks so old and fragile, like a stiff wind could blow him over. He puts his arm out for a handshake, but I decline.

"So, what would you like, Mr. Caverdini? Are you planning on killing me?"

"Do you honestly believe that I would kill you right in front of a police station? No, I have something a bit more humbling in mind."

"And what would that be?"

"Listen, I've been keeping an eye on my granddaughter's business endeavor. I know what she's been doing. And I know that you're just about to walk into that building with the evidence you need to put her in prison".

"Yeah. What are you going to do about it?"

"I confess."

Well, this sure is interesting.

"The attack on Armstrong, the kidnapping….. I was behind it all. My granddaughter had nothing to do with it."

Okay, now I'm getting suspicious. What's this guy's angle?

"Look, Mr. Caverdini. We both know that your granddaughter was behind the whole thing, so cut the bullshit. Why are you doing this?"

"You don't have a family, do you?"

"No."

"Well, then you wouldn't understand. I've done some stuff I'm not exactly proud of. But the one thing I've regretted is not being better to my family. And poor Viola…. She didn't choose the path she's going down now, she was born into it, and I'm responsible for it. She was careless this time, but she's young, and she's had no one to help her. I'm old, and this might be my last chance to do the right thing. So please, Detective, let me take the fall."

"I'm not sure if I can do that, Caverdini. It isn't justice to be arrested for something you didn't do."

"Look at it this way. You can fight tooth and claw to nail a one-time offender, or you can take down the biggest crime lords in town completely effortlessly. Ultimately, it's your call. You do what you think is right."

And that's how I took down Bruto Caverdini. You shoulda seen the look on everyone's face when they saw me dragging him into the station with a pair of cuffs. He signed a confession, and I submitted my evidence, not that it was really necessary at that point.

His trial took place the next day. There wasn't much to it, really. You should have seen Prosecutor Payne, grinning like an idiot because he thought he was taking down the biggest crime lord in the city, even though the whole thing probably gone exactly the same if he didn't show up. I wasn't really paying attention until I saw Viola in the wings, bawling her eyes out. When the judge gave him a five-year sentence, she went up and gave him a big, hallmark-moment hug before they dragged him out. After that, she spent the entire time glaring at me, and all I wanted to do was leave.


	8. Epilogue

_**EPILOGUE**_

I couldn't stop wondering what was going to happen next. Was seeing her granddaddy being sent to prison going to scare Viola straight, or will just make her angrier at the world? I'll be keeping an eye on her, that's for sure.

I called Maggey the night after the trial. I wanted to take her to lunch again to apologize about what happened. She agreed, and then we spent about twenty minutes arguing about who was footing the bill.

Shelly de Killer escaped from the hospital shortly after he recovered. I could care less. It really doesn't sound like he'll be finding any work for a while, considering how well his last job went.

About two in the morning, I get a phone call from the precinct. Apparently, there's some sort of huge disaster that happened in this little village in the boonies, and that I have to go and check it out. Prosecutor Edgeworth meets me there sometime after. I wanted to tell him about how I busted Caverdini so I might be able to get some sort of pay raise or something, but he seemed too wrapped up in whatever was happening there to really be interested. I don't really care.

That's the way these things work, pal.


End file.
